​Qaqambile Mdledle
The Gauteng Department of Health is committed to managing the spread of  the pandemic, improve patient experience care, infrastructure, primary health care, emergency services and reducing medical litigation. 
In rder to achieve this, the department has been allocated a budget f R56.5 billion.
Presenting the 2021/2022 budget for the department on Wednesday 17 June, Gauteng Health MEC, Dr Nomathemba Mokgethi, said the   lion's share of the budget 
  (R5,2 billion) will go towards  the HIV/AIDS, TB and STI programmes.R2,5 billion of the budget will  go towards  improving health infrastructure in the province and R1,5 billion  is allocated t emergency medical services.  
The MEC added that R2 billion has been set aside for the provincial government's response to COVID-19. This includes the rollout of the vaccination programme at 330 sites and R1,5 billion has been set aside for additional human resources.
Meanwhile R227 million has been allocated to mental health services and over R150 million for the implementation of National Health Insurance (NHI) over the medium-term expenditure framework.
"In the current financial year, and under COVID-19, health promotion and education has become even more important than ever. The department continues to engage our communities on a range of public campaigns aimed at creating awareness and mobilising the active energies of our people to improve health outcomes," she said.
She also admitted s that the closure of Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, which got burnt earlier this year, has seriously affected services as the province battles the third wave.
"As a department, we acknowledge that this has placed immense pressure on other hospitals that admitted patients from Charlotte Maxeke," said MEC.
There are currently 3,840 COVID-19 beds in the public sector while an additional 747 is ready for activation.
MEC further mentioned that 47% of the people over the age of 60 have been registered in the electronic vaccination data system. A total of 202,052 people had been vaccinated by Wednesday,16 June 2021.